David and I are so excited that we have come together to create a dream of ours, The
Good&Sharp Studios, an oasis where we can offer an experiential approach to
support spiritual creatives in creating a crystal clear vision and a concrete plan for the
dreams they want to bring into the world.
Guess what?! Construction has begun this month for the main building – earlier than
scheduled!
Join us in our first ever Live Your Dreams retreat in September 2021. We want to support you in manifesting the dream you have. Find out more HERE.
When I think back to when I was a little girl, I realize that I’ve always had both a creative
side and spiritual side. But, to be honest, while I was growing up I wasn’t sure how I was
going to be able to fully express these in the world.
I remember spending hours at the piano, with my fingers dancing upon the ivory keys,
playing song after song, the melodies nourishing my soul.
And in the heat of the summer when my family would vacation at the Atlantic Ocean, I’d
play on the shore, my bare feet in the cool, wet sand. I would sing or hum songs to my
heart’s content letting the music drift out onto the gentle waves and into the world.
I remember dreaming of singing on a stage one day and allowing the power of my voice
to reach others. Although this idea terrified me I still would dream about it!
As I grew older, I held on to my dreams. I looked for ways that a young woman could share her gifts with strength and power in the world.
As I searched, I discovered that there weren’t many avenues for spiritually creative women to pursue their dreams. Door after door seemed to be shut to women. As a young woman in my 20’s, I remember how disappointed and angry I was at this.
There was one particular, dark moment that stands out in my memory. So dark that I even wondered if I should go on living.
I’d just returned to New York City after a year of living with the Otomi Indians in Mexico
where I had been an active part of a Catholic community. I was completely horrified at
what I experienced in the nuns’ oppressive attitudes toward the Otomi beliefs. I was
enraged at the Catholic Church. I did not see Jesus’ teachings in action.
I longed for a way the divine feminine could be expressed fully in the world. I couldn’t
find this - or even support for it in the Catholic church I had grown up in. My heart was
broken.
It happened to be that just a short time after my return from Mexico, I attended a
workshop led by Matthew Fox at the Marble Collegiate Church on 5th Avenue in New
York City. He was a Catholic priest and had just written the bestseller book, Original
I approached him with demanding questions, fueled with the passion and anger I
carried. “What is the deal with the Catholic Church? Why do they teach us to shut down
our bodies? To shut down indigenous people? To shut down women? And men also, for
that matter? To shut down our creativity?”
Surprisingly, Matthew just smiled and asked me how I connect to God.
“Well,” I said very timidly, “I sing.”
He replied, “Jeannine, you should check out Hildegard of Bingen.”
And so that was the day that my journey with St. Hildegard began. I never would’ve
dreamed at that moment in time how important she, a 12th century Benedictine abbess,
would become in my life! My connection to her and all that she manifested in the world
has brought such strength and joy in my life over the years. She truly has transformed
my life!
I soon learned that St. Hildegard was incredibly courageous as she persevered and
manifested her visions in the world. This was unheard of at the time! Women weren’t
part of the clergy. Women didn’t preach, speak publicly, or write theological works. And
they certainly didn’t build abbeys that were financially independent of the men of their
day. And yet she kept going, guided by the Divine.
As I continued to learn about St. Hildegard there was a title wave of creativity that
flowed, bringing strength, healing, and joy into my life.
Today, I’m not shy about the fact that I’m a singer. And yes, I have even sung on stage
in from of many people! I also have expressed my creativity in other ways including tap
dancing, writing, painting and teaching. All of this has been a vital and beautiful part of
my life and spiritual path.
This is why I’m so passionate to help others to manifest their creative dreams in the
world!
Once the construction is complete at the Good&Sharp Studios, I will be placing a spectacular glass sculpture in my new office. It was created by the artist Frederick Hart and is entitled Destiny. As you view this radiant glass piece from various angles, you encounter different aspects of the woman in the sculpture. It’s a reminder of my journey through life as a woman and also a wonderful inspiration to me that our lives move forward in unique and even unexpected ways at various stages in our journeys.
-Jeannine
Come and join us! David and I warmly invite you to our first ever Live Your Dreams
retreat in September 2021 at our new oasis, The Good&Sharp Studios. We want to
support you in manifesting the creative dreams that are stirring in your soul.
Find out more HERE.
Comments